Indicating and control apparatus for cone type ore crushers



' March 17, 1964 McCARTY ETAL 3,125,303

INDICATING AND CONTROL APPARATUS FOR CONE TYPE ORE CRUSHERS Filed Jan. 9, 1961 f V igzzzvrom {til-Q7 X" 4 A Tram/5m United States Patent Ofi ice 3,125,303 Patented Mar. 17, 1964 3,125,303 INDICATING AND CONTROL APPARATUS FOR CONE TYPE ORE CRUSHERS James P. McCarty and Charles H. Curtis, Tucson, Ariz.,

assignors to Duval Sulphur 8: Potash Company, Houston, Tex., a corporation of Texas Filed Jan. 9, 1961, Ser. No. 81,651 7 Claims. (Cl. 2.41-213) This invention relates to control of ore crushing devices, and more particularly to an apparatus for determining the height of the cone of an ore crusher of the type known as cone crushers.

For many years cone crushers have been employed for reducing the size of ore. These crushers employ a generally frusto conical ring within which a cone shaped crushing element gyrates to crush the ore between the crushing ring and cone. The height of the cone relative to the crushing ring is variable, and in one form of cone crusher the cone is supported on a piston mounted in a hydraulic cylinder. Transfer of hydraulic fluid to or from the cylinder thus adjusts the height of the cone.

In the past, a piece of soft metal such as lead has been passed through the crusher and inspected to determine the distance between the cone and crushing ring. For many years the industry has sought a feasible method of determining the height of the cone relative to the crushing ring, but nothing has been found fully acceptable and the lead sizing block has continued in use.

It is an object of this invention to provide a hydraulic means for measuring the height of the piston in its supporting cylinder in a cone crusher of the type described above to determine the spacing between the cone and crushing ring.

Another object is to provide hydraulic means of measuring the height of the cone of a cone crusher, as in the preceding object by determining indirectly the volume of hydraulic fluid below the piston supporting the cone, which will not interfere with normal operation of the cone crusher.

Another object is to provide hydraulic means of measuring the height of the piston of a cone crusher, as in the preceding objects, together with means for controlling transfer of fluid to and from the cylinder, said measuring means and control means having, respectively, a measuring gauge and control operator positioned together at a remote location to permit remote control of the height of the cone relative to the crushing ring.

Other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the drawing, the specification and the claims.

In the drawing the single figure illustrates schematically a cone crusher provided with means for determining and controlling the height of the cone in accordance with this invention; the cone crusher is shown much smaller in size relative to the remainder of the system.

The cone crusher indicated at 10 is conventional in form and includes a crushing ring 11 which is generally frusto conical in shape and a frusto conical cone 12 positioned for gyration within ring 11. The cone is supported on piston 13 slidable within cylinder 14.

The cone is gyrated in the conventional manner by a gear system indicated generally at 15. For a full and complete disclosure of the details of the cone crusher shown in the drawings, see page of the bulletin of Allis-Chalmers, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, entitled Hydrocone Crusher, No. 07B7145B.

In the operation of the cone crusher, ore is fed from a conveyor belt 16 to a screen 17 to remove the fines and the larger particles are fed from the screen 17 to the mouth 18 of the cone crusher. Crushed ore is discharged through outlet 19.

In accordance with this invention, the cone crusher is provided with means for transferring hydraulic fluid between a reservoir 21 and cylinder 14. The means for transfer illustrated includes a conduit 22 having parallel branches 22a and 22b. The conduit 22 is provided with a conventional reset device 23 which contains a bladder inflated with nitrogen to a predetermined pressure higher than normal pressures encountered. In the event tramp iron, etc., finds its way into the cone crusher, the bladder 23 can collapse, permitting the cone to drop down and pass the foreign material.

In order to control transfer of fluid between the cylinder 14 and reservoir 21 a motor operated valve indicated generally at 24 is provided for controlling branch conduit 22a and a motor operated valve indicated generally at 25 is provided for controlling branch conduit 22b.

To provide power for transferring hydraulic fluid from reservoir 21 to cylinder 14, a pump indicated at 26 driven by motor 27 is provided in branch conduit 22b. Preferably the pump is positioned on the reservoir side of valve 25 and is of the type having an internal bypass which maintains a selected pressure at the outlet of the pump.

To determine the amount of hydraulic fluid in cylinder 14, and therefore the vertical position of piston 13 and cone 22, measuring means are provided for determining the amount of hydraulic fluid within reservoir 21. It will be appreciated that with a given amount of hydraulic fluid in the system, the height of the column of fluid in the reservoir is directly related to the height of the column of fluid in the cylinder 14, and thus the amount of fluid in the cylinder may be determined by determining the amount of fluid in the reservoir. Thus, indirectly the height of the column of fluid in the reservoir measures the height of cone 12. Preferably the diameter of the reservoir is several times less than the diameter of cylinder 14 so that a given change in piston position results in a multiplied change in reservoir fluid height. This, of course, permits greater accuracy in determining the height of the piston.

The measuring means is preferably provided by a U- tube 28 and a pressure gauge 29 which measures the pressure at the bottom of reservoir 21. The U-tube 28 gives a visual indication of the height of hydraulic fluid in the reservoir. The pressure sensing device indicated generally at 29 measures the height of fluid in the reservoir. Height may be determined by measuring presssure at any selected point below the normal liquid level in the reservoir. The sensing device may include a transmitter located adjacent the reservoir transmitting a signal proportional to pressure to a remote indicating recording instrument 29a on a control panel. Calibration may be simply carried out by raising the cone until it engages the crushing ring and the level of fluid in the reservoir noted. With the cone in this position a U-tube calibration card may be adjusted to read fully closed and the transmitter adjusted to transmit a signal which will be interpreted by the indicating instrument as zero clearance between the cone and ring.

In accordance with this invention, the valves 24 and 25 are preferably motor operated as by solenoid motors and energized through lines 31 and 32 by operating the controls indicated generally at 33 and 34, respectively. Preferably, the controls 33 and 34, as Well as the indicating device referred to above, are located together at a remote point such as a control panel to permit constant monitoring of the height of the cone and resetting of the height of the cone when necessary from a remote point.

In operation of the system, the pump 26 is preferably maintained in constant operation, or it may be turned on immediately before it is desired to raise cone 12. In either event, with the pump operating and the cone at a lower position than desired, it is only necessary toopen valve 25 by operating control 34 to permit pump 26 to transfer fluid from the reservoir 21 to the cylinder 14 to raise cone 12 relative to crushing ring 11. As soon as the indicating means 29 and U-.tube 28 indicate that the liquid level within reservoir 21 has dropped to a height which results in the cone reaching the desired elevation, the control 34 is operated to close valve 25.

If the cone 12 be at too great an elevation, control 33 is operated to open valve 24 and permit the weight of the cone to drive piston 13 down, and thus force hydraulic fluid from cylinder 14 into reservoir 21. When the L1- tube 28 and pressure gauge 29 indicate that hydraulic fluid in the reservoir has raised to a level at which the cone is in the desired position, the control 33 is operated to close valve 24.

It might be noted that the pump 26 could be manually operated and that the valves 24 and 25 could also be manually operated. However, the motor operated pump and valves are preferred to permit remote control of the height of cone 12.

From the above it will be seen that an apparatus has been provided which determines the height of the cone 12 without interfering in any way with normal operation of the cone crusher. As the conduit 22 enters in the bottom end of cylinder 14, normal operation of piston 13 is not interfered with.

The foregoing disclosure and description of the invention is illustrative and explanatory thereof and various changes in the size, shape and materials, as well as in the details of the illustrated construction, may be made with in the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of the invention.

What we claim is:

1. Ore crushing apparatus comprising, ore crusher means having a gyratable cone vertically adjustable relative to the crushing ring of the ore crusher, said cone supported on a hydraulic fluid piston mounted in a cylinder carried by the ore crusher, a hydraulic fluid reservoir, conduit means connecting the reservoir and cylinder, means including pump and valve means controlling transfer of hydraulic fluid between said reservoir and cylinder, and means determining the height of hydraulic fluid in said reservoir to thereby determine the amount of fluid in said cylinder and the height of the cone relative to the crushing ring.

2. Ore crushing apparatus comprising, ore crusher means having a gyratable cone vertically adjustable relative to the crushing ring of the ore crusher, said cone supported on a hydraulic fluid piston mounted in a cylinder carried by the ore crusher, a hydraulic fluid reservoir, conduit means having parallel branches connecting the cylinder and reservoir, valve means in each branch of the conduit controlling transfer of hydraulic fluid between the reservoir and cylinder, pump means in one of said branches for pumping hydraulic fluid from said reservoir to said cylinder, and means determining the height of hydraulic fluid in said reservoir to thereby determine the amount of fluid in said cylinder and the height of the cone relative to the crushing ring.

3. Ore crushing apparatus comprising, ore crusher means having a gyratable cone vertically adjustable relative to the crushing ring of the ore crusher, said cone supported on a hydraulic fluid piston mounted in a cylinder carried by the ore crusher, a hydraulic fluid reservoir, a conduit having parallel branches connecting said cylinder and reservoir, valve means in each branch of the conduit controlling transfer of hydraulic fluid between said reservoir and cylinder, pump means in one of said branches on the reservoir side of the valve means in said branch for pumping hydraulic fluid from said reservoir to said cylinder, and means determining the height of hydraulic fluid in said reservoir to thereby determine the amount of fluid in said cylinder and the height of the cone relative to the crushing ring.

4. Ore crushing apparatus comprising, ore crusher means having a gyratable cone vertically adjustable relative to the crushing ring of the ore crusher, said cone supported on a hydraulic fluid piston mounted in a cylinder carried by the ore crusher, a hydraulic fluid reservoir, conduit means having parallel branches connecting said cylinder and reservoir, valve means in each branch of the conduit controlling transfer of hydraulic fluid between said reservoir and cylinder, pump means in one of said branches on the reservoir side of the valve in said branch for pumping hydraulic fluid from said reservoir to said cylinder, said pump means having an internal bypass and maintaining a selected pressure at the pump outlet, and means determining the height of hydraulic fluid in said reservoir to thereby determine the amount of fluid in said cylinder and the height of the cone relative to the crushing ring.

5. Ore crushing apparatus comprising, ore crusher means having a gyratable cone vertically adjustable relative to the crushing ring of the ore crusher, said cone supported on a hydraulic fluid piston mounted in a cylinder carried by the ore crusher, a hydraulic fluid reservoir, conduit means having parallel branches connecting said cylinder and reservoir, remote control motor operated valve means in each branch of the conduit controlling transfer of hydraulic fluid between said reservoir and cylinder, pump means in one of said branches for pumping hydraulic fluid from said reservoir to said cylinder, said pump means positioned in one of said branches on the reservoir side of the valve means in said branch and having an internal bypass and maintaining a selected pressure at the pump outlet, means determining the height of hydraulic fluid in said reservoir to thereby determine the amount of fluid in said cylinder and the height of the cone relative to the crushing ring, said height-determining means including indicating means, said remote controls for the motor operated valves and said indicating means positioned adjacent each other to permit remote setting of the height of the cone relative to the crushing ring.

6. The method of adjusting the height of the cone of an ore crusher having a crushing ring and a cone cooperable with the crushing ring to crush ore, said cone supported on a column of liquid in a cylinder, comprising, supplying liquid from a reservoir to said cylinder and raising the cone until it is in engagement with the crushing ring, measuring the height of liquid in the reservoir with the cone in engagement with the crushing ring, and transferring liquid between the cylinder and reservoir until the level in the reservoir indicates a desired clearance between the crushing ring and the cone.

7. Ore crushing apparatus comprising, ore crushing means having a gyratable cone vertically adjustable relative to the crushing ring of the ore crusher, said cone supported on a hydraulic fluid piston mounted in a cylinder carried by the ore crusher, a hydraulic fluid reservoir, conduit means communicating between said reservoir and cylinder, transfer rneans in said conduit means for controlling transfer of hydraulic fluid between said reservoir and cylinder, means determining the height of hydraulic fluid in said reservoir to thereby determine the height of the cone relative to the crushing ring, and automatic means for actuating said transfer means to permit transfer of hydraulic fluid between said reservoir and cylinder, said automatic means being responsive to said height-determining means to thereby control and adjust the height of the cone relative to the crushing ring.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,503,131 Nelson July 29, 1924 1,849,690 Rode Mar. 15, 1932 2,079,882 Traylor May 11, 1937 2,349,790 Johnson May 23, 1944 2,579,516 Roubal Dec. 25, 1951 2,799,456 Behr July 16, 1957 3,941,732 Cross June 21, 1960 

1. ORE CRUSHING APPARATUS COMPRISING, ORE CRUSHER MEANS HAVING A GYRATABLE CONE VERTICALLY ADJUSTABLE RELATIVE TO THE CRUSHING RING OF THE ORE CRUSHER, SAID CONE SUPPORTED ON A HYDRAULIC FLUID PISTON MOUNTED IN A CYLINDER CARRIED BY THE ORE CRUSHER, A HYDRAULIC FLUID RESERVOIR, CONDUIT MEANS CONNECTING THE RESERVOIR AND CYLINDER, MEANS INCLUDING PUMP AND VALVE MEANS CONTROLLING TRANSFER OF HYDRAULIC FLUID BETWEEN SAID RESERVOIR AND CYLINDER, AND MEANS DETERMINING THE HEIGHT OF HYDRAULIC FLUID IN SAID RESERVOIR TO THEREBY DETERMINE THE AMOUNT OF FLUID IN SAID CYLINDER AND THE HEIGHT OF THE CONE RELATIVE TO THE CRUSHING RING. 